Dhana was the first House Mother at Ama Ghar when we opened the doors in 2001, which means she has worked tirelessly for 24 years. She brought her young daughter, Rama, with her in those early days, and worked alone with Ama Tika for seven months until Uma and Bonnie arrived. Rama became one of the Ama Ghar children and grew up here until she left Nepal for Dubai, where she is now working.
After Bonnie arrived at Ama Ghar and got her bearings, she told Dhana to relax and take a day off, since she had worked every day, 24 hours a day, for seven months. Dhana looked bewildered and said, “But I don’t know what to do,” so Bonnie suggested that she just take a nice walk. Dhana went off on her stroll, where she was spotted by the Treasurer of the Ama Ghar Board, Shekhar Silwal. He stopped her on the road and asked her where she was going. “I’m not going anywhere,” Dhana said. “Bonnie Auntie told me I had to take a walk, so I am walking.”
Visitors loved Dhana. She always had a smile and a hearty laugh to share. Her mischievous sense of humor came through when she would teach visitors how to say “mitho cha” (pronounced “mee-to cha”) which means “delicious” in Nepali, and then get the giggles when they tried to say it properly. There was always laughter in the kitchen, especially in the early days when visitors used to sit in the tiny kitchen at the old house while Dhana was cooking. She is an excellent cook, and her dal in particular gained a certain amount of fame within our circles. When Nepali visitors came to eat with us, they would whisper to the staff, “Don’t tell anyone, but Dhana’s dal is better than my mother’s!” She fed the children with her wonderful food, and with her love. She was always there for them.
Dhana has certainly earned a rest, but she will be missed by all – children, staff, and visitors. She will be living close to Ama Ghar, so we hope she will visit us often. The Ama Ghar children gave her a great farewell party, with lots of spirited dancing, singing and guitar music. Many of the grown Ama Ghar children, who were raised by her, came home to join the party and to honor their beloved Dhana Auntie. It was a tearful, but joyful, event.
